


The Significance of Found Family

by stolen_pen_name23



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, BAMF Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Healing, Gen, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Mentioned Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Stewjon, Timeline What Timeline, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24990037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stolen_pen_name23/pseuds/stolen_pen_name23
Summary: “Alright alright, I’ll look for the nearest planet for us to crash land on.”“We are not going to crash land!”Anakin rolled his eyes but began scanning the navigation console. Even outside of hyperspace, the ship was careening very quickly through space and it made it difficult to identify where exactly they were.“There!” Anakin yelled after a few long seconds. “There’s a planet close by here. It’s called Stewjon, I’ve never heard of it.”“Neither have I, but we’ll just have to hope it’s inhabited with republic friendly sentients.”___Obi-wan Kenobi and a roughly 17-year-old Anakin Skywalker crash land on a planet unknown to them both. The truth of Obi-wan Kenobi's past comes to light.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 32
Kudos: 305





	1. Safety First

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first fanfic! I tried my best. Anyway, I'm also relatively new to this fandom, but I've been reading quite a bit of fanfic to get caught up. However, I do apologize if the timeline is off or if I got any in-universe details wrong. I did take a few creative liberties, like Anakin and Obi-wan's ability to basically talk telepathically through the Force, but I otherwise tried to stay within the realm of the canon. In this fic, Anakin is about 17. 
> 
> While I am a copywriter by trade, I never write anything fictional, so this is new to me. Despite my title, I am not the perfect grammarian so I apologize for any typos. Only the OCs belong to me, but you're free to use them if that's something you're interested in.

“Ugh how much longer Master?” Anakin whined as he emerged from his small bunk on the ship he shared with Obi-wan Kenobi.

“Honestly Anakin I thought I was better at teaching you patience than this.” Obi-wan said with exasperation. His padawan was nearly 18 and he would soon be ready for his trials. 

“Maybe some things can’t be taught Master,” Anakin said with a wry smile.

In truth, Obi-Wan’s own patience was beginning to wear a little thin. The pair had been flying for the past 26 hours, taking turns piloting the ship so the other could rest or meditate. They were on their way to the outer rim planet of Senjin to broker a deal between the five tribes that ruled the planet. 

Obi-wan hoped to woo the five leaders of the tribes with access to republic trade routes and other resources in order to gain their loyalty… And access to the precious minerals the planet was rich with. Regardless, it was going to be a simple mission. Unfortunately, this simple mission was about 38 hours away from Coruscant, even with hyperspeed. Even more unfortunate, his Padawan’s already thin patience was running even thinner.

“Why did they even send us for this mission master?” Anakin whined. “The council knows we’re two of the republic’s most talented warriors. We should be on the front lines!”

“Pride is unbecoming of a Jedi, Anakin.” Obi-wan reprimanded dryly. “Besides, you should be grateful for this mission. The clone wars are only escalating, how often do you think we’ll have the opportunity to rest like this. I say we should take advantage of it.” 

Anakin huffed but sat down in the chair next to Obi-wan. The two sat in comfortable silence together.

Suddenly a banging sound could be heard towards the back of the ship. 

“Uh, master? What was that?”

“I don’t know Anakin,” Obi-wan said evenly, trying not to let concern color his voice. He had never been fond of flying, preferring dry, solid ground to the thrill of hyper speed any day. 

As he said it, alarms began flaring across the ship’s dashboard and the ship fell out of hyperspeed. He and Anakin quickly began adjusting buttons and levers in a desperate attempt to regain control of the vessel. 

“Anakin, find out where we are and find the closest planet!”

“But shouldn’t I…”

_ “Anakin!” _

“Alright alright, I’ll look for the nearest planet for us to crash land on.”

“We _ are not  _ going to crash land!” 

Anakin rolled his eyes but began scanning the navigation console. Even outside of hyperspace, the ship was careening very quickly through space and it made it difficult to identify where exactly they were. 

“There!” Anakin yelled after a few long seconds. “There’s a planet close by here. It’s called Stewjon, I’ve never heard of it.”

“Neither have I, but we’ll just have to hope it’s inhabited with republic friendly sentients.”

Anakin entered the coordinates as he and Obi-wan attempted to regain control of the vessel.

“Anakin, go down to the hyperdrive. See if you can figure out what’s wrong,” Obi-wan commanded.

For once, Anakin was all too happy to oblige. The boy loved fixing things and in this case, Obi-wan was more than willing to indulge him in his hobbies. 

Anakin climbed through the trap door on the floor of the bridge and climbed down to the hyperdrive and began messing around with the wires and machinery. It didn’t take long for him to identify the problem.

Anakin popped his head up through the door. “Uh master, I think I know what the problem is.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Well, the transformer controlling the energy unit blew up. Energy can’t get to the hyperdrive but it can still get to the main engines, which is why we’re still going so fast.”

“Is that all?” Obi-wan asked, already knowing the answer.

“Well it looks like the mechanism that would allow energy to  _ stop  _ flowing to the engines was damaged and the breaks were shot meaning we don’t actually have a means of slowing down the ship.”

“I see,” Obi-wan said tightly.

“Looks like we’re crash landing after all.” Anakin said in a way that almost sounded like he was pleased with the turn of events. Obi-wan chose to ignore that.

Their target planet was already well in sight and it would only be a few seconds more before they entered the atmosphere. 

_ “Buckle up Anakin,”  _ Obi-wan said. Anakin hurriedly clambered over to the co-pilot's seat and strapped himself in. 

Obi-wan tried to release his quickly rising panic into the force. He feared not only for his own life, but for that of his Padawan. He had taken him on to honor the wishes of his dying master, but had quickly grown to love him as a brother and best friend. If anything happened to Anakin while he was under his protection, he would never forgive himself. 

As the ship entered Stewjon’s atmosphere, Obi-wan glanced at his Padawan. He could see a look of fear start to replace the excitement that had been on his face a short time ago. 

The hull of the ship began to heat up as it blasted through the atmosphere and quickly careened towards the surface. Sweat dripped down Obi-wan’s face as he tried in vain to gain some semblance of control over the ship. 

Together, he and Anakin tried to use the force to slow the ship’s descent but it was too heavy and too fast and quite frankly, neither Jedi was in the calmest state of mind to be using the force at the best of their abilities anyway. 

In seconds, the ship slammed into the crust of the planet, scarring it’s surface as it skidded along. The nose of the ship slammed into a large boulder, forcing the ship to flip onto it’s back, and after a few meters of sliding, come to a halt. 

Obi-wan felt his body slam into the ceiling of the ship. The impact of the landing ripped the seatbelt that was  _ supposed _ to hold passengers in place out of its casing.

_ I hope Anakin’s seatbelt didn’t malfunction  _ was Obi-wan’s last thought before he gave in to the encroaching darkness.


	2. Strangers in a Strange Land

“Uggghh,” Anakin groaned as his senses came back to him. The first thing he felt was pain. His head swam and his chest ached. Anakin felt nausea start to overtake him as he realized that he was also upside down. Upon realizing his predicament, panic immediately set in. He quickly tried to free himself from the safety straps holding him in place, but the buckle was completely jammed. He grabbed his lightsaber, which was fortunately still hooked to his belt and used it to cut himself free.

With less grace than normal, he managed to twist his body so that he landed on his feet in a crouch position on the ceiling of the ship. His sense of balance didn’t remain loyal to him, however, and he slowly keeled sideways and lay on his side. His ribs ached from where he had been strained against the straps. His head hurt from hitting the back of his headrest too hard, but overall he felt pretty okay for someone who had just crash landed on a foreign planet. 

As his awareness came back to him, so did another thought. _Master!_

Anakin looked up to the pilots seat to find his master missing. The safety straps that were supposed to keep him safe seem to have ripped out of their base entirely. Anakin looked to his left and saw his master unmoving and lying on his side. 

Anakin crawled over to Obi-wan and tried to reach him through their training bond. 

_Master! Master, wake up, please!_

His Master lay still.

_Come onnn, open your eyes, please!_

“Obi-wan,” Anakin said out loud in a small whine that sounded more like that of a youngling than that of a soon-to-be Jedi knight. 

Anakin noted the blood trickling from a bump on Obi-wan’s temple. It had managed to run into his ginger hair, making it appear matted and spiked in odd places. 

Luckily, Obi-wan was still breathing and his heart rate seemed normal. Anakin rolled him onto his back and ran his hands along Obi-wan’s body, searching for wounds that weren’t visible to the eye. 

Anakin ran his hand along his right shoulder, the shoulder he appeared to have landed on when he fell, and instantly Obi-wan’s eyes flashed open. He sat bolt-upright and gasped. He quickly looked around, panting in pain.

_Anakin?_ He said weakly through their training bond. As the flare of pain in his shoulder subsided, Obi-wan’s rash actions quickly caught up to him. He felt woozy and lightheaded from sitting up too quickly. He brought his left hand up to his temple and winced. 

_I’m right here, Master._

_Are you alright Anakin?_

_I’m fine master, just some light bruising. I’ll be healed by tomorrow._

Obi-wan looked Anakin up and down suspiciously, but for once it looked like his Padawan was being honest with him. Silently thanking the force for letting him take the brunt of the injuries, he sighed and leaned back against the wall. 

His head hurt, but it was nothing compared to the fiery pain lancing through his arm and shoulder. His arm had to be broken and he was sure his shoulder was dislocated.

He pushed down that pain and assessed his body for other injuries. His whole right side hurt from slamming into the ceiling. He attempted to stand up, but his legs quickly gave out on him. He unceremoniously fell back to the floor (ceiling?) and huffed. 

“Easy there Master, let’s take it slow for a minute.”

Anakin helped Obi-wan shift closer to the wall so that he could lean on it comfortably. The small act was enough to wind Obi-wan and his chest heaved rapidly. Sweat and blood matted his auburn hair. 

“Are you alright Obi-wan?” Anakin asked.

“I’ll be okay Padawan. But I think my arm might be broken and I think I dislocated my shoulder,” Obi-wan grimaced.

Anakin’s expression turned fearful. The kid was way too easy to read, Obi-wan thought.

“Nothing that won’t heal though so don’t worry, Padawan mine,” Obi-wan added quickly.

That seemed to calm Anakin somewhat.

“Stay here Master, I’m going to look for some supplies in the ship, then I think we should try to find some help.” Anakin said, trying not to let worry color his voice.

Obi-wan nodded and immediately regretted it as his head swam. He closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to quell the rising nausea. 

A few minutes late, Anakin returned with a small backpack strapped to his back.

“Alright Master, I didn’t find a lot. This ship wasn’t heavily stocked for emergencies so no medical supplies. But, I did manage to find a few canteens of water and some rations. I also found a tent we can set up if we don’t find adequate shelter.”

Obi-wan’s nausea only seemed to increase at the thought of food. He looked at Anakin and quietly whispered “Good job Padawan.”

Anakin felt a small swell of pride, but it was quickly forgotten as he reassessed his Master’s current state. Obi-wan looked pale. Like, _really pale._ His eyes were glassy and unfocused. Anakin made the quick assumption that he likely had a mild concussion. On top of that, his brow was slick with sweat and blood from the cut on his temple. Anakin couldn’t see his other wounds, but he didn’t need to to know that they were causing him immense amounts of pain, especially his broken arm. 

“Maybe we should stay here and hope someone shows up and helps us?” Anakin suggested already knowing what his Master was going to say in response.

“Anakin, you know as well as I do that we need to get moving,” Obi-wan said calmly. “The ship isn’t going anywhere and we can’t waste time waiting around for someone who might never show up, or who might not be friendly.”

“I know, Master,” Anakin said with resignation. 

With that, Obi-wan took a few deep breaths and willed himself to his feet. He almost fell straight back down again as his coordination failed him, but Anakin was quickly by his side, holding him steady. 

“Alright then,” Obi-wan panted. “Best not to waste time.”

Together Obi-wan and Anakin made their way out of the ship and into the wide-open plains of Stewjon. 

* * *

After walking for hours, Anakin was eternally grateful that they landed on a temperate and calm planet like Stewjon. However, Anakin was less thrilled by the lack of, well, just about anything. For miles and miles it seemed there was nothing but wide-open grasslands. Every now and then a herd of deer-like creatures would pass by or they would see a small group of trees, but beyond that, there didn’t seem to be much life at all. 

The going was slow and only getting slower as his Master seemed to tire. Knowing Obi-wan would never be the first to say anything, Anakin said “can we stop and set up camp?”

Concern passed across Obi-wan’s expression. “Are you feeling okay Padawan? Are you sure you weren’t hurt in the crash.”

“Yes Master I’m fine, just tired of walking is all. Plus I’m starving, we haven’t eaten in a while.” 

“Alright Padawan, we’ll stop here. I’ll start setting up the tent if you go and find some kindling for a fire.”

Anakin nodded his assent. 

“Anakin,” Obi-wan called out.

“Yes, Master?”

“Be careful.”

“I’m always careful!”

Obi-wan rolled his eyes and gingerly set to work on the tent.

* * *

After about half an hour, Anakin returned with some branches. He set to work on making the fire while Obi-wan dozed quietly inside the tent. 

“Master,” Anakin called quietly.

Obi-wan groaned.

“Master, I’ve made one of the rations. You should eat something.”

“That’s alright Anakin, you should have it.” 

Anakin frowned.

“Please just a few bites, Master. We need to keep your strength up.”

Begrudgingly, Obi-wan ignored the nausea roiling in his stomach and humored his Padawan. 

“There. Happy?” Obi-wan asked after eating a few bites.

“Not really but I’ll take it.” 

After a few moments of sitting in silence, Obi-wan got up and staggered a few paces into the grass. He crashed to his knees and vomited the meager contents of his stomach.

Anakin rushed to his side. _Master?_

_It’s okay Padawan. I’ll be fine._

Anakin didn’t look convinced.

Obi-wan sat back on his haunches, panting. Sweat darkened his hair and his skin was still paler than usual.

“Come on, let’s get some rest,” Anakin stretched out his arm to Obi-wan who gladly took it. Together, they returned to their camp and settled into their tent.

Worry for his Master was the last thing on Anakin’s mind before he passed out. 


	3. Firebeetles

As the sun rose over the horizon, Anakin groaned. His body was still sore from the crash landing and from sleeping on the hard ground. He looked around the tent, positive that Obi-wan would already be awake and preparing them some sort of breakfast like he normally would be when they get themselves into situations like this. Instead, he found his master still sleeping, rather fitfully in the same spot he had been when they fell asleep. 

“No… please… M’ster… help me,” Obi-wan whimpered as he tossed and turned. 

Anakin poked at their force bond and recoiled almost immediately. Obi-wan’s shields were almost completely lowered and all Anakin could feel was unbridled pain, fear and confusion. 

Now bracing for Obi-wan’s unkempt emotions, Anakin ventured back into their bond. Suddenly Anakin’s body felt like it was on fire. He felt thousands of beetle-like creatures crawling all over him and tearing into his skin. He felt Obi-wan’s sheer terror and pain through their bond and quickly tried to overpower it with calming energy. He began working on replacing the nightmare with a memory. 

_ “I don’t know master, I don’t think humans were ever meant to swim,” a very young Anakin said nervously to his newly knighted Master. _

_ “Whether we were meant to swim or not is beyond the point, Anakin,” Obi-wan said patiently. “I would just rather you learn how to swim now when we have a controlled environment than in the throes of a difficult mission where swimming is no longer an option.”  _

_ “What kind of mission would force us to swim?” _

_ “I had to swim on Naboo.” _

_ “Oh.” _

_ “Now come on, I’m right here, I would never let anything happen to you. Just kick your legs like I showed you and hold your breath.” _

_ Anakin nodded, swallowing his fear, and kicked off from the edge of the temple’s pool towards Obi-wan who was waiting patiently in the center of the pool.  _

_ It wasn’t until he grasped onto his master’s shoulders that he realized Obi-wan had slowly been moving backward, away from Anakin, as he swam towards him.  _

_ “Hey! That’s not fair! I swam the entire length of the pool!” Anakin whined. _

_ “Exactly.” _

_ A smile crept onto Anakin’s face as he realized his accomplishment. Nevertheless, his master tricked him. Anakin’s smile turned mischievous. He stretched his arm out and splashed his Master.  _

_ Obi-wan’s hair, which was awkwardly growing out from his Padawan cut, stuck to his forehead as he instantly became sopping wet.  _

_ Bracing for a lecture about respecting his Master, Anakin was surprised to feel an even bigger wave of water splash into his face. _

_ “Hey that’s not fair! You’re bigger than me!” _

_ “Then think of this as a lesson in choosing one’s battles,” Obi-wan said with a mischievous grin of his own.  _

This was one of Anakin’s fondest memories, and he knew his Master felt the same. It had been the first real-time they were truly comfortable around each other after Qui-gon’s death. It was an instrumental moment in their relationship as Master and Apprentice as well as their friendship. 

Anakin was grateful to see that the memory worked in bringing calm to his Master. His brow had softened and he was no longer whimpering in fear or pain. 

Anakin quietly worked on rekindling the fire and preparing a small breakfast for him and his Master. 

* * *

Obi-wan woke up to pain. His head hurt and even though his arm and shoulder felt like they were on fire, he felt chilled to his core. He tried tightening his robe around himself without jostling his arm too much. 

Suddenly a flare of panic shot through his chest as he realized his Padawan was not inside the tent with him. Obi-wan scrambled out of the tent and was immediately relieved to find his Padawan tending to the fire.

“Good morning, Master,” Anakin said, almost too cheerily. “Here, eat some of this.”

Obi-wan grimaced at the food being handed to him. He still felt too nauseous to eat. 

“Please Master, you need to eat something.”

“I’ll be alright, Anakin.”

Anakin was unhappy with his Master’s refusal to eat, but he recalled his lesson on choosing his battles and let this one go. He ate the remainder of the ration and got to work disassembling the tent. Obi-wan moved to help him.

“Master, please, sit back down again. I want you to save your strength.”

Anakin’s concern grew when Obi-wan didn’t put up a fight and instead sat on the ground with his head in his good hand. Anakin hoped that Obi-wan was just picking his battles as well, though he doubted that was all it was.

* * *

After about an hour of hiking through Stewjon’s expansive grasslands, Anakin finally asked, “so what was your dream about?”

“My what?” Obi-wan said with slight confusion.

“Your dream. This morning your shields were low and I felt your dream. Actually, it was a nightmare. I could feel your pain... and your fear.”

Obi-wan paled, “I’m sorry Anakin, I’m not myself, you should not have had to feel that.”

“It’s okay Master, I replaced it with a memory. But you still haven’t answered my question. What was your dream about? It felt too real to be just a figment of your imagination.”

“That’s because it was also a memory,” Obi-wan said softly. 

“Okay, so what was this memory?”

Obi-wan sighed. “I was younger than you are now. Probably about 13 or 14. Qui-gon and I were on a mission to reach the native tribes deep inside the depths of a jungle planet. I can’t even remember the name of the planet anymore. But Qui-gon and I were there to deliver medicine and vaccines to the tribe. They were supposed to remain untouched, but unfortunately, a city dweller stumbled upon their tribe while on a hike and spread a very contagious disease to them. After delivering the medicine, Qui-gon and I started making our way back to our ship. We were hiking through the jungle for hours. I was hot. I was tired. I wasn’t paying attention. I fell into a pit full of fire-beetles. Do you know what those are?”

Anakin shook his head no. 

“They are these huge, red beetles with massive pinchers. When they bite you, they release a neurotoxin that tricks your brain into thinking your skin is on fire. When I fell into the pit, hundreds of them started crawling on me and biting me. They got under my robes and they covered my face. I was paralyzed by fear and pain. It was like everything I had ever learned about letting go of fear in my training as a Jedi vanished. I was frozen.” Obi-wan grimaced at the memory. 

“I screamed for my Master,” Obi-wan continued. “It felt like an eternity, but it didn’t take long for Qui-gon to pull me out and get the beetles off of me — but it was too late. The thing about fire-beetles is that the main effects of their toxin don’t go away for three days. Qui-gon had to carry me the rest of the way back to the ship. The whole flight home I wept and screamed like a youngling. I was exhausted, but the pain wouldn’t let me sleep. After the burning effects of the toxin dissipated I was ill with flu-like symptoms for two weeks. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life and it’s a memory I’ve had a very difficult time releasing to the force.” 

Anakin looked at his Master in horror. 

“Master, I don’t know what to say, that’s terrible. I’m sorry you went through that.”

“It’s okay Anakin. I think it built character,” Obi-wan said in an attempt to lighten the mood. “And Anakin…”

“Yes Master?”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Master.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of doing another fic that expands on the firebeetle story (an idea I originally got from Karen Miller's Wild Space). What do you think?


	4. Farmhouse

Eventually, the grass sea they had been trekking through had turned into a waist-high field of some sort of grain. Its amber-colored stalks waved rhythmically in the wind.

Just as Anakin’s limited patience was wearing so thin to the point of breaking, Obi-wan quietly said “What’s that?”

Anakin could have leaped with joy had he not been supporting most of Obi-wan’s weight. In the distance, he saw a farmhouse and not far from it, a barn. The grain they had come across must be a crop the owners of the farmhouse were growing. 

“Do you think they’re friendly?” Anakin asked.

“I have no idea, but I know right now, they are our only hope.”

Obi-wan’s faded strength seemed to renew as he picked up his pace a little. He desperately hoped that whoever awaited them in that farmhouse would be welcoming to the two castaway Jedi. 

* * *

Anakin knocked on the door of the small farmhouse. Obi-wan cautiously took his weight off of Anakin and he gingerly stood on his own, trying in vain to project confidence and strength in case the person who answered the door wasn’t friendly. 

Just as Anakin was about to knock a second time, the door opened. A small, older woman stood in the doorway.

“Hello,” the woman said cautiously but kindly. “Can I help you boys?” 

Her voice was kind and though she was older, she had a striking beauty about her. Her youthful blue eyes betrayed her age. Her long hair was tied off in a side braid and though it was graying, Anakin could tell it had once been a vibrant strawberry blonde in her younger years. She was holding a blue ceramic pitcher in her aging hands. 

“I’m sorry, we don’t mean to intrude. It’s just our ship crashed and we were hoping we could rest in your barn for the night. And if you happen to have a communicator, it would be very helpful if we could borrow it to send a message to the Je… uh I mean to our friends,” Obi-wan said quickly. 

Anakin side-eyed him. He must have been really out of it to even begin to mess up like that. Before the war, the Jedi were generally loved, and didn’t have a problem revealing themselves to strangers. But now, it was impossible to know who to trust. The pair had already hidden their lightsabers in their cloaks. 

“I’m sorry, we don’t have a communicator. You’ll have to go into town to use the community communications device,” the woman said with kindness in her voice. 

“That’s alright, could… could you tell us… how to get to town,” Obi-wan said a little breathlessly.

“Are you boys alright?” The woman said with concern as she looked them up and down. 

“Oh we’ll be okay. We bounce back quickly, we just need a little rest is all,” Obi-wan said, but Anakin could sense that his renewed strength was quickly waning.

“Are you sure? You don’t look so good there, uh.. I’m sorry I don’t believe I got your names.” 

Noting his master’s quickly growing exhaustion, Anakin was the one to jump in this time. 

“Apologies ma’am. My name is Anakin Skywalker and this is Obi-wan Kenobi. We were…”

Anakin was interrupted by the old woman dropping the pitcher from her hands. It shattered into a dozen or so pieces at their feet. Anakin’s eyes widened in surprise as the woman’s hands flew to her mouth. 

“I’m sorry, do you…”

“How could I not see?” She whispered, cutting Anakin off mid-sentence.

Anakin and Obi-wan glanced at each other in confusion. 

“Oh my. Oh, my boy, my beautiful boy,” the woman said quietly as she reached out towards Obi-wan. Tears immediately filled her eyes and she stifled back a sob. 

“I’m terribly sorry ma’am, have we met before?” Confusion colored Obi-wan’s voice.

“Oh, it’s not your fault my sweet one. You wouldn’t remember.”

The confused expressions did not leave Obi-wan’s or Anakin’s faces.

“You don’t understand Obi-wan,” she said quietly. “My name is Kasia. Kasia Kenobi.”

Realization dawned on Anakin a few seconds before Obi-wan. He looked wide-eyed at his Master and watched as several emotions made their way across his face before he settled on confusion. 

“How is that…? I thought my parents were dead? They told me…” 

“They told you exactly what I told them to tell you,” the woman said quietly. 

Obi-wan’s breath was coming in short pants now. His energy was draining fast, in spite of the revelation before him.

“I… I don’t… under… understand,” Obi-wan said breathlessly. He swayed on his feet. Anakin and Kasia looked at him with deep concern. 

Anakin put a steadying hand on Obi-wan’s shoulder. “Master?” He questioned.

“I… I don’t feel very well.”

Anakin’s eyes widened in shock at the uncharacteristic revelation from his Master, but he didn’t have much time to think on it as Obi-wan’s eyes rolled back and he pitched forward into Anakin’s arms. 

* * *

“Here, quickly, let’s bring him inside,” Kasia said quickly. If Anakin wasn’t so concerned about his Master, he would have been very impressed with the way the woman claiming to be Obi-wan’s mother was able to quickly take charge of the situation. 

Anakin half carried, half dragged Obi-wan into the small farmhouse. Kasia led the way to a bedroom with two small beds side-by-side in it. Anakin set him down on the closest bed. 

“You two can stay here tonight,” Kasia said, clearly trying not to let concern color her voice. “During harvest season, we hire two strong boys from the village to help us out and they stay here.”

After a pause, she added, “this room would have been his.”

Anakin noted the deep sorrow in her voice but shifted his focus back to Obi-wan. 

Anakin sat by Obi-wan’s side, feeling somewhat helpless as Kasia bustled around the farmhouse gathering supplies. 

“I think he might have a concussion,” Anakin finally said. “I think we need to try and wake him up.”

“I know,” Kasia said. “But we should try and patch up some of his wounds while he’s asleep so he doesn’t aggravate them more.”

Carefully, she helped Anakin remove the older Jedi’s robe and shirt. Anakin carefully grabbed his Master’s lightsaber and attached it to his own belt.

It concerned Anakin that Obi-wan didn’t wake up to them jostling his dislocated shoulder and broken arm. The heat radiating from his Master’s skin also worried him.

Now bare-chested, Anakin could clearly see the damage done to his Master. His shoulder was completely purple and red. More sickeningly, his broken arm was revealed by the bone unnaturally sticking out of his skin. His dark brown robe had hidden the blood leaking from the wound, but now Anakin could see clearly that the angry wound had been bleeding quite a bit. He was also concerned by how angry and red the wound looked - already displaying the first signs of infection. He also noted the purple and green bruises that covered his body, especially his right side. 

Kasia took a bowl of water and a washcloth and used it to gingerly clean the wound on Obi-wan’s temple. She then drew her attention to his broken arm. She did her best to clean it without aggravating it further, but it was slow, difficult work. 

“Anakin was it?” Kasia questioned.

“Yes, Anakin Skywalker.”

“Can you run to the barn? My husband will be there. His name is Mer-khan. He works with all the animals and has more experience dealing with broken bones than I do,” Kasia requested in her soft, gentle voice.

Anakin looked at Obi-wan. His brows were knit together in obvious pain, even in sleep. He was reluctant to leave his master’s side. He didn’t want to be gone if he woke up. More than that, he was concerned that something might happen to him while he was gone.

Noticing Anakin’s reluctance, she said, “I will take care of him. I would never do anything to harm him, do you understand me?”

Anakin was not the most trusting man, but the cadence of her voice immediately made him believe every word she said.

“Yes ma’am. I’ll go find your husband.” 

Looking over Obi-wan’s bruised and broken body one more time, Anakin turned and made his way to the barn. 

* * *

The trek to the barn didn’t take too long, but the desire to get back to Obi-wan made the distance feel infinite. 

As he approached the barn, Anakin quietly walked through the open front door.

“Hello?” Anakin called out. “Mr. Kenobi?”

“We’re not hiring right now, come back during harvest,” a male voice called out from above. 

Anakin looked up. In the barn’s loft, he saw a tall, muscular but lithe looking man shoveling hay.

“I’m not looking for work sir,” Anakin said, his voice raised so that Mer-khan could hear him. “I need help, or well, my friend needs help. Your wife sent me to find you.”

With that, Mer-khan stopped what he was doing and climbed down to meet Anakin. 

“My wife sent you huh?”

Up close, Anakin could tell without a shadow of a doubt that this was Obi-wan’s father. Mer-khan had salt and pepper splashed copper-blond hair that was identical in color to Obi-wan’s. His eyes were a greenish-blue and a smattering of light freckles made their appearance known across the man’s nose and cheekbones. 

“Uh-huh,” Anakin nodded, trying to keep his excitement at meeting his Master’s father at bay.

“Well then,” Mer-khan said. “Best not keep her waiting.”

* * *

As Anakin and Mer-khan made their way back to the farmhouse, Anakin wrestled with how he should tell him about his long-lost son currently laying badly injured in his guest bedroom. 

“So what’s your name kid?” Mer-khan asked politely. “And why did my wife send you out to my barn instead of coming herself.”

“Well, my name is Anakin Skywalker. I’m a Jedi, or well, I’ll be one as soon as my master recommends me for the trials.” 

At the thought of his Master, Anakin started to quicken his pace.

“Jedi, huh?” A sad look fell across Mer-khan’s face, but it was quickly replaced with the sunny disposition he held early.

“That’s right. And uh, there is something you should know before we go inside.”

Anakin and Mer-Khan came to a stop only about ten feet from the front of the farmhouse.

“I came here with my Master,” Anakin continued. “Well, actually, we didn’t mean to come here. We sort of crash-landed here. Our ship and comms were completely destroyed so we walked for miles before we found your farmhouse. My master is very injured, which is why Kasia sent me to fetch you. She says you have medical experience with the animals.”

Mer-khan nodded as Anakin regaled him with the story.

“And um there is something you should know before you see him,” Anakin said, trying to keep his voice even. “My master’s name is Obi-wan Kenobi.”

After a pause, Mer-Khan whispered, “He… the other Jedi… my son… my son is in there?”

Raw emotion covered the man’s face. At once, Anakin saw deep grief and joy cross through the eyes that matched his master’s. 

“Yes, your son is in there and he needs you,” Anakin said. “Please, he needs your help. We need your help.” 

After a breathless moment, Obi-wan’s father said, “yes, yes of course. Let’s go.” 

With that, the pair walked through the front doors of the farmhouse.


	5. Delirium

The scene before Anakin was not the calm scene he had left behind all that long ago. Kasia was desperately trying to keep a writhing Obi-wan still. Anakin’s master was pale and sweating, a clear look of distress crossed his face.

“Where’s Anakin! What have you done with my Padawan! Please! I need to see him!” Obi-wan appeared to be near tears as he called for his Padawan. 

At once, Anakin rushed to his side. “Master, I’m right here. These people are helping us, they won’t hurt me or you. I need you to calm down.”

“Anakin?” At the sight of his Padawan, Obi-wan seemed to settle a little bit. “Ani are you alright, did they hurt you?”

Anakin’s eyes widened a bit at the use of his childhood nickname. Obi-wan really only used it now if Anakin was sick or injured. “I’m fine Master, no one has hurt me.”

Looking over his Padawan and noticing that he appeared otherwise unharmed, Obi-wan began to calm down. 

“I’m sorry, he’s not usually like this,” Anakin said, worry coloring his voice.

“It’s okay, young one. It’s to be expected. He’s concussed and it looks like his wound has become infected. He has a fever. It’s only natural that he’s confused,” Kasia said calmly though there was a slight strain in her features.

Off to the side, almost like a shadow, stood Mer-Khan. He was looking at his son with a mix of wonder and grief. 

“It’s been so long,” he whispered sadly. 

Kasia looked up at her husband with tear-brimmed eyes. “I know what you’re feeling my love, but right now we need to focus. Our son needs our help.”

And if that didn’t sound like Obi-wan, Anakin didn’t know what did. 

“Right,” Mer-Khan whispered.

“Obi-wan, this is Mer-Khan, he’s here to help you,” Anakin said. “I’m going to step over there so he can help you.”

“Ani, don’t leave,” Obi-wan said weakly.

“I’m not leaving, Obi-wan, I would never leave you. I’m right over here.” Anakin tried to keep his voice even but the emotion of the situation was starting to catch up with him. 

With that, Kasia stood up.

“Here, you take my place. Someone will need to hold him down and you’re much stronger than me,” Kasia said softly, clearly not wanting to leave her son's side. “You’re what he needs right now.”

Anakin nodded gratefully and exchanged spots with her. 

“Alright Anakin, I’m going to need to set the bone so it heals correctly and I need to relocate his shoulder. I need you to hold him down and make sure he doesn’t move too much,” Mer-Khan said with authority. “Kasia, I think I have a splint from when Jacob broke his arm after falling off his bantha. It should be under the sink in the fresher, can you find it?”

Anakin and Kasia both nodded their assent and busied themselves with their respective jobs. 

Mer-khan took off the belt he was wearing and handed it to Anakin. 

“Have him bite on this.” 

Eyes glassy, Obi-wan bit down on the leather belt as Mer-khan moved him into a sitting position. 

“Hold onto him, I don’t want him moving too much.”

Anakin nodded and braced Obi-wan from his left side.

With some effort, Mer-khan popped Obi-wan’s shoulder back into place. Though it was muffled, Anakin still shrunk at the scream coming from his Master. 

Together, Mer-khan and Anakin gently laid a panting Obi-wan back down. His eyes were squeezed shut in pain and his chest heaved. 

At once, Kasia came back with a splint and some fabric Anakin assumed would eventually be turned into a sling. 

“Ani,” Obi-wan whispered breathlessly. “Ani, where’s Qui-gon?”

Anakin gasped and the older Kenobi’s didn’t miss the look of sorrow that passed over Anakin’s face.

He paused, not knowing what to say to his clearly confused master. “He’s not here right now Obi-wan. I’m sorry.”

Anakin was shocked to see tears well-up in Obi-wan’s eyes.

“It’s alright Obi-wan, I’m right here. I’ll stay with you, I promise.”

Obi-wan nodded before once again passing out. 

“Alright I’m going to set his arm while he’s passed out,” Mer-khan said after a pause. “Anakin if you’d like to get settled in, I don’t think he’ll be waking up soon.”

Anakin nodded, his exhaustion quickly catching up with him. 

Before Anakin could even bear to tear himself away from his Master, Kasia whispered, “Who’s Qui-gon?”

The sorrow returned to Anakin’s expression.

“Master Qui-gon Jinn was a great man,” Anakin said. “He was flawed, but he was a powerful Jedi with a good heart and quite the rebellious streak. Obi-wan was his Padawan, like I am now Obi-wan’s. Qui-gon raised him and taught him how to be a great Jedi. Qui-gon Jinn died about eight years ago. He was murdered right in front of Obi-wan.” 

Kasia’s eyes showed a deep sadness on behalf of her long lost son. She held his good hand and stroked his sweaty hair. 

“He saved me from a life of slavery on Tatooine,” Anakin continued. “Even though I was too old, Qui-gon convinced the council to let him train me in the Jedi arts. When Qui-gon was killed, Obi-wan became a Jedi knight and he began training me in his stead. This was eight years ago. If Qui-gon and Obi-wan hadn’t fought for me I likely would have been kicked out of the Jedi order before I even got a chance. I owe both of them my life.” 

“He sounds like a good man,” Kasia said. Anakin didn’t know if she was talking about Qui-gon or Obi-wan. 

“Alright, I’ve reset the bone,” Mer-khan said, interrupting Anakin’s reminiscing. “His shoulder and arm should both heal correctly now. My main concern is the concussion and the infection. It’s too late for us to stop the infection, we’re just going to have to let it run its course and make sure he receives plenty of rest and fluids.”

Anakin nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Kenobi. I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t found you.”

“Of course, Anakin. Now, why don’t you go take a shower? You can borrow some of my clothes and you can join us for dinner if you’d like.”

“That would be wonderful sir. Thank you.”

* * *

Feeling refreshed after a hot meal and warm shower, Anakin went to check on Obi-wan. He frowned at the site of his master’s unnatural pallor. Though he was asleep, his jaw was tight and his brow was furrowed. 

Kasia and Mer-Khan were both sitting at his side. Kasia held a damp cloth to Obi-wan’s forehead and murmured quietly to him. Mer-khan just sat silently and stared at his son, grief coloring his expression. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Anakin asked quietly.

Both Kenobi’s jumped, not having noticed the young Jedi enter the room. 

After calming himself, Mer-khan whispered, “I think he’ll make it, but we need to watch the infection on his arm.”

“My Master is strong,” Anakin said, though he didn’t know if he was reassuring the Kenobi’s or himself. “I’ve seen him pull through worse situations. It’s going to take more than a crash landing to take him out.”

This didn’t seem to bring too much comfort to the Kenobi’s.

“When we gave our son to the Jedi Order, I had hoped he would have a better life,” Kasia said sadly. “It seems he has been dealt a lot of pain in his young life.”

“Mrs. Kenobi, your son has a great life,” Anakin reassured her earnestly. “He’s the best Jedi I know. He loves being a Jedi. Yes he’s dealt with hardship and pain, but if you were to ask him I don’t think we would trade it for anything. Mrs. Kenobi, Obi-wan was born to be a Jedi.”

“We know,” Kasia said softly, tears in her eyes. Anakin got the feeling there was a deeper meaning behind the sentiment.

They all sat in comfortable silence around Obi-wan for a long time, all lost deep in thought. 

“You two should get some rest. I can keep an eye on him. If something happens I’ll come get you right away.”

Both Kenobi’s reluctantly pulled away from their son. 

“Okay, but you need to get some rest too,” Mer-Khan said.

“I will sir.”

As Obi-wan’s parents left the room and closed the door behind them, Anakin grabbed both his and his Master’s lightsabers and placed them on the side table. Anakin then crawled into the small, empty bed, his feet nearly hanging off the end. He lay on his side, facing Obi-wan.

He fell asleep to the steady sound of Obi-wan’s breathing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've read a few other people's takes on what Obi-wan's parent would be like, but none of the ones I have read made them nice. I wanted to try out giving Obi-wan selfless and loving parents so this happened :)


	6. Recognition

Obi-wan awoke with a gasp. He sat straight up and instantly regretted it.  _ I need to stop doing that,  _ Obi-wan thought to himself. 

Woozy and bewildered, Obi-wan took in his dark surroundings. From the moonlight coming in through a square window, he could tell he was in a small room. He looked to the side and was comforted to see Anakin fast-asleep on a bed identical to the one he was currently sitting on. 

He noticed Anakin sleeping on his side. Obi-wan knew Anakin preferred to sleep on his stomach and vaguely wondered if he was actually injured and had just hidden it from him. 

He looked around some more and was once again comforted by the sight of both of their lightsabers laying on the side table situated between the two of them. He was less comforted when he looked down at himself and noticed he was only wearing trousers. His shirt and robe were gone. A chill crept over his body and he suspected it wasn’t from lack of appropriate outerwear. 

He carefully assessed his broken arm. Someone had splinted it while he was asleep. The wound was wrapped, but he could see that his skin was redder than usual around the edges of the bandages. It still hurt tremendously, but it was more of a dull ache now than the fiery pain it had been.

He vaguely remembered  _ someone  _ relocating his shoulder, but his memory was clouded. He made the assumption that the people from the farmhouse had been friendly after all. Based on the blatant display of their lightsabers on the side table, it seemed they were friendly to Jedi as well.

_ It’s about time we caught a break. _

Obi-wan attempted to quietly lie down again but hissed when he jostled his arm a little too much.

Anakin was instantly awake.

_ Master! _

_ Anakin, go back to sleep, I didn’t mean to wake you.  _

_ It’s okay Master. How do you feel? _

_ Not great, but better than before I suppose. How long have I been out? _

_ Not long. Since late afternoon. You passed out after we relocated your shoulder. _

_ Ah. And who is we? _

Anakin got up and walked to Obi-wan’s side. He helped his Master lay back down. Anakin grimaced at the heat rolling off of Obi-wan’s skin in waves.

_ Answer me, Padawan. _

_ You don’t remember whose house this is? _

_ Anakin, you know I don’t like playing games like this. _

_ Obi-wan, we’re in Kasia and Mer-Khan Kenobi’s house. The people who own this home, the people who helped me get you patched up, they’re your parents. _

Feelings of shock, mixed with vague recognition passed through their Force bond. 

_ I didn’t dream that? _

_ I’m afraid not Master.  _

_ Anakin, my parents are dead. Master Yoda told me they died when I was a baby. He told me that an orphanage recognized I had Force abilities and called on the Jedi Council to come have me tested. I don’t even know what planet I was born on. _

_ Well, then it’s a very weird coincidence that you share an uncommon last name with two people who happen to be your spitting-image. Obi-wan, I think your parents told the Council to lie to you. I think you were born on Stewjon. _

_ Why would they do that?  _

Anakin could sense Obi-wan trying to hide the hurt he felt in their bond, but he was too tired and ill to gain the full control he usually had.

_ I don’t know, Master. But based on how they cared for you and interacted with you today… I don’t think they wanted to give you up.  _

Anakin could sense his Master’s strength waning through their bond. He also noticed Obi-wan shivering, even under his multiple layers of blankets.

“Get some rest Master,” Anakin said quietly as he lay his own blanket on top of Obi-wan.

“Thank you, Padawan,” Obi-wan said gratefully. 

He fell asleep trying to envision the faces of the parents he had never known. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this whole fic written. I will likely update with the final six chapters tomorrow, but if not, they'll definitely be up by the end of the week. Cheers!


	7. Bonded

A soft knock on the door shook Anakin up from his light slumber.

“Come in,” He said groggily.

“Good morning,” Kasia said quietly as she entered the small room. She was carrying a tray with breakfast and two cups of an herbal tea. “I don’t know if he’ll be up to eating anything just yet, but the tea has healing properties.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kenobi. This is too much.”

“Not at all. This is just basic Stewjon hospitality,” she said with a bright smile.

Anakin ravenously dug into the breakfast laid out in front of him while Kasia pulled up a chair to sit at her son’s side. She laid a hand on his forehead and grimaced at the heat rolling off of it. 

“Where’s Mer-Khan?” Anakin asked around a mouthful of food.

“He’s already out attending to the animals.”

Anakin nodded and kept eating the breakfast in front of him. 

Kasia politely waited for Anakin to finish eating before asking, “How has he been?”

“He woke up in the middle of the night. He still had a fever, but he was much clearer. He didn’t have a whole lot of memory on how we ended up here though. He was chilled, so I gave him my extra blankets, but I don’t think it helped him much” 

“I see,” Kasia said. “I think we should try to wake him up. He needs fluids if we want him to kick this infection.”

“You’re right. I’ll try to wake him up through our bond.”

“Your what?”

“Our bond. All Jedi Master and Apprentice teams develop one. It’s important for us to be on the same page and to understand each other’s emotions as we learn from one another. We can communicate through the bond and sense how the other is feeling both physically and mentally. We can always shield ourselves, but right now neither of us is shielding the other. I can use this bond to poke at him and try and make him wake up.”

Kasia looked at him with wonder. “That’s incredible.”

“After Qui-gon died, I felt very alone at the Jedi temple. I knew Obi-wan, but he was quiet and reserved. We hadn’t spoken much while Qui-gon was alive. When we formed our bond, we understood each other a lot better. It was still rocky at first, but when we bonded I could sense that he also felt very alone without his Master’s presence. We connected over our shared feelings of grief and isolation. We became more than just Master and Apprentice, we became brothers.” 

“I’m glad my son has you.”

“I’m glad I have him too.” With that, Anakin closed his eyes and began prodding the bond. 

_ Master. Obi-wan, wake up.  _

Obi-wan stirred a little and his brow creased. 

“Mmmm” Obi-wan hummed softly.

“That’s it, back to the land of the living Master.”

“Anakin you’re always so dramatic,” Obi-wan grumbled. He slowly blinked his eyes open and squinted at the bright sunlight entering the room. 

His eyes widened in surprise as his gaze landed on the woman sitting before him. He blinked at her slowly before looking around for Anakin. He found him, sitting on his bed, sipping from a small teacup. His gaze shifted back to the woman.

She was staring at him with a mix of wonder and sadness. He did not know this woman, but Obi-wan felt immense amounts of guilt for being the one who caused her pain. She certainly looked kind-hearted, and based on the way she had taken him and his Padawan in, she was. 

“Hello,” Obi-wan said awkwardly, breaking the uncomfortable silence hanging in the room. 

“Hi, Obi-wan,” Kasia said softly. “Here, drink this. It will make you feel better.”

Obi-wan gratefully took the teacup from her outstretched hand. The tea reminded him of Coruscant. It reminded him of home.

“I want to thank you for taking me and my Padawan in like this. I know this was all completely unplanned and you didn’t have to help us the way you did.”

“How could I have turned you away? Even if you weren’t my son I couldn’t have let you two go back out into the wilderness in the shape you were in.”

“Well, either way, it’s deeply appreciated.”

A heavy silence fell over the group again. Anakin felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn’t be a part of, but he still didn’t want to leave his Master alone with a virtual stranger, even though she had clearly proven herself trustworthy. 

“So,” Obi-wan said, once again breaking the awkward tension in the room. “You’re my mother?”

“Yes, Obi-wan, I am.”

“And the man who patched me up, that was my father?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

_ Is that all you’re going to say, Master? _

_ And what would you like me to say Anakin? _

_ I don’t know! They’re  _ your  _ long lost parents. All I’m saying is that I think I would have a lot of questions to ask  _ my  _ long lost parents.  _

Obi-wan glared at his Padawan. 

“Are you two having a nice conversation?”

If Obi-wan’s cheeks weren’t already flushed with fever, they would have burned red. “I’m sorry, how did…”

“Anakin told me about the bond you two share. It must be nice to be connected with someone so strongly.”

“It’s certainly useful. It’s probably saved both of our lives a few times,” Obi-wan said, flashing a grin at his Padawan. Anakin smirked back at him.

“Well, I’m glad you have it then,” Kasia said lightly.

Obi-wan noted the musical cadence in her voice and the sharp blue of her eyes. It was getting harder to deny their relation.

Silence had once again fallen on the trio. 

“What’s it like?” Kasia said, breaking the silence.

“What is what like?” Obi-wan responded.

“Being a Jedi. I want to know.”

“Well,” Obi-wan said slowly as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed. “Being a Jedi has its challenges, but I believe most Jedi will agree with me when I say it’s a calling. I was never meant to be anything else than what I am now. 

“So I made the right choice then.”

“And what choice might that be?”

“The impossible choice. The worst choice I ever had to make. The choice to give you up. To hand my only son, my only baby, over to virtual strangers.”

Silence. Anakin felt like he shouldn’t be witnessing this, but a stronger part of him couldn’t bear to pull away. 

“You don’t understand,” Kasia continued. “I couldn’t get pregnant. Mer-khan and I tried for years, but I was barren. After a while, hoping for a baby became too painful. But just as we had given up hope, I became pregnant… with you.”

Obi-wan nodded, encouraging her to continue on with her story.

“Mer-khan and I were thrilled. We’d never been happier. I was so careful too. I did everything the village healers encourage other pregnant women to do. I drank herbal teas and didn’t engage in any strenuous activity even though my pregnancy aligned with harvest season. I knew you were likely our only chance of having a baby. I wanted to protect you and make sure you were healthy.”

“So why make the choice?” Obi-wan prodded. “Why give up your only child?”

To the untrained ear, Obi-wan’s tone indicated he was asking this purely out of curiosity. But Anakin could tell there was a small amount of bitterness behind his question. Anakin wondered if Obi-wan ever imagined what a “normal” life would have been like for him. Based on his tone, Anakin wouldn’t be surprised if he did. 

“My father. Your grandfather. He was gifted like you. He was the oldest child and his role in the family was vital. His parents needed him to help maintain the farm and raise his younger siblings. But he always longed for more. Unfortunately, the Jedi order only takes babies and toddlers. My father would never have been accepted at his age. 

“He was a great father, but his head was always a little in the clouds. He grieved for the life he could never have – a destiny he would never see. He always told me and my siblings that if we had ever displayed any Force sensitivity, he would have sent us to the Jedi temple without question – without hesitation. He died a man with many regrets.”

Kasia paused and gazed sadly at her child, now a man, sitting in front of her.

“The days after you were born were the happiest of my life,” Kasia continued. “We had decided to name you after my father. His name was also Obi-wan. I guess it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Kasia chuckled lightly to herself. 

“You were the perfect baby in every way. You were healthy and strong. You didn’t cry that much. You were always smiling. You were my perfect, beautiful baby. Too perfect. You seemed so in-tune with your surroundings. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. I knew you had your grandfather’s gifts and I knew what I had to do.”

Tears now filled her eyes as she continued on with her story.

“I told your father. He already knew what I was going to do. He supported me even though he was just as torn-up about giving you away as I was. If he hadn’t supported my decision, I don’t believe I would have had the strength to do what I did.

“I traveled to the village. It’s only two hours away but the journey there felt eternal. I carried you with me the whole way. The closer you were to me the more I could sense it. I felt your light and I felt your strength and I felt your fire even at just a few months old. The journey to the village with you in my arms only confirmed my belief that I was doing what was best for you,

“At the village, I went to the only communications hub we have. I contacted the Jedi temple. After speaking to a few secretaries, they agreed to send a Jedi Master out to Stewjon to confirm that which I already knew. 

“After a few days, a Jedi ship arrived at our home. A small, green Jedi master with an odd way of speaking came to conduct the test.”

Obi-wan and Anakin looked at each other with a knowing smile.

“It was Master Yoda wasn’t it?” Anakin asked.

“Yes, that was his name,” Kasia said, a half-smile crossing her face. “I liked him. He seemed like he knew everything about me and everything about you just by looking at us.”

“Yeah that’s definitely him,” Anakin added.

“He tested you for midi-chlorians, though I think he knew as well as I did that you were well beyond the requirement to be accepted at the Jedi temple.” Kasia continued. 

A haunted look suddenly overtook her.

“He told me that you were still young. I could hold on to you for at least another two years before giving you up.”

Tears were now actively spilling down her face.

“I told him I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t bear to keep you another day because I knew I would change my mind. I couldn’t bear the thought of bonding with you over those two years and you bonding with me. I couldn’t bear to cause you any pain. So I let you go.

“Mer-khan and I said our goodbyes. I handed you over to the Jedi master. I knew I’d never see you again… or at least I thought I would never see you again. Ever since that day there has been a void that could never be filled by anything. It was as if you had died.” 

A heavy silence once again blanketed the trio. 

Obi-wan, who had been silent this whole time, had a faraway look on his face. Anakin wasn’t sure what he was thinking or even if he was processing the whole story. He was still flushed with fever and he looked exhausted. His good arm was crossed over his stomach, indicating he felt as ill as he looked. 

“Why did you tell the Council to tell me you were dead?” Obi-wan couldn’t hide the twinge of hurt in his voice. His energy was waning and it was becoming more difficult to smother the raw emotions bubbling to the surface. 

“Oh, my sweet Obi. I told them to tell you we were dead because I never wanted you to feel like you weren’t wanted,” Kasia said earnestly. “My son, you were wanted more than anything in the world, but I knew you had a bigger destiny than anything I could provide you with here. Not a day goes by where I don’t think of you or wonder where you are or if you’re safe. It was easier for you to believe we no longer existed.”

He nodded gently but winced as if the subtle movement caused him pain. 

“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I’m sorry I was the cause of so much pain for you.”

“You are not the source of my pain. You could never be the source of my pain. You had nothing to do with the decision to give you to the Jedi. While I wish I had gotten to see you grow up into the man you are today, I do not resent you for a choice that was my own.”

“Still… I’m sorry.” Obi-wan now appeared to be fighting to maintain consciousness. His eyes were unfocused and half-lidded. Kasia grabbed the teacup from his hand before he dropped it. 

She gently cupped her hand on his face. Anakin looked on in surprise as Obi-wan stiffened, but eventually leaned into the touch. 

“He’s still feverish. We should let him rest,” Kasia said. She pulled away from Obi-wan and he sunk further into the bed before giving into sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, very angsty, I know.


	8. Rumination

A few days had passed and Obi-wan’s strength slowly returned to him. He did not know much about using the force for healing, but he had managed to speed up the recovery process of his right arm. He had to wear the sling Kasia had made for him for a few days, but now he felt strong enough to go without. Only a dull ache and light scarring remained. He had also recovered from the infection and the concussion, but his energy-levels were not quite back to their normal status. 

Over the past few days, he and Anakin had been helping Kasia and Mer-khan around the house and farm. 

Anakin was doing much of the harder labor in the fields, but he didn’t mind. He wanted to help the Kenobi’s. They had been so kind in taking him and his Master in, he felt it was the least he could do. 

Obi-wan took to working with the banthas in their stables. He systematically brushed through their fur until it was clean and detangled. He polished their horns and methodically reshoed their hooves. It was calm work that allowed him to meditate on the situation he and his Padawan had found themselves in. He used the time to try and work through and let go of his emotions, but if he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole situation.

He was easily able to work through the pent up anxiety that had been caused by the crash, the fear he had felt for Anakin as they had crashed unceremoniously into the planet’s crust. However, he was having a harder time working through his emotions surrounding his long lost, assumed-dead, parents. 

He acknowledged the sense of betrayal he felt, partially towards his parents, but mainly towards Yoda for lying to him all these years. He felt angry that Yoda had felt the need to keep up the lie his whole life.

_ Does he really think me that incapable? Does he really believe I would forsake my whole life, all of my training, my Padawan’s life, just so I could run home and form attachments with people I’ve never known? _

He acknowledged the bitter thought and let it go into the Force, though he was going to ask Yoda about it when he returned to the temple… whenever that may be. 

He let himself fall deeper into the Force. 

He felt… sad. He felt sad for his parents. The sacrifice they had made on his behalf. But he also felt sad for himself. 

It really wasn’t until Anakin came into his life that he had ever wondered what it would be like to grow up with loving parents. Anakin’s bond with Shmi Skywalker was so powerful, he wondered what it would be like to experience it himself. Yes, he had Qui-gon, and he had loved his Master dearly – a little too much if you were to ask Yoda. But his relationship with Qui-gon had not always been smooth. They had a very rough beginning, and at the end of his life he had practically tossed Obi-wan aside in favor of the young boy from Tattooine. Obi-wan had never received any closure from that and it was something he still had trouble releasing to the Force. 

So yes, Obi-wan felt a little sad that he never got to experience a “normal” childhood with “normal” parents who loved him unconditionally – who would never toss him aside.

_ Except they did. _

The angry thought surprised him. He rationally knew that his life had turned out as the Force had willed it too. He believed his parents when they said they didn’t want to give him up. But it still hurt, he admitted to himself.

His meditation was interrupted by a loud clanging as the heavy barn door creaked open. In sauntered Anakin. He looked sweaty and dirty but satisfied after a long day of work. 

_ Hello Master. I haven’t seen you all afternoon. _

_ I’ve been here. _

_ Yes, I can see that. You’ll need to take a shower before dinner, you smell like Bantha. _

_ Yeah well, working in the sun all day hasn’t exactly done you any favors either Padawan. _

They grinned at each other. Anakin was thrilled to see Obi-wan up and mostly healthy again. Obi-wan was proud to see Anakin so selflessly helping out their rescuers. He knew Anakin was enjoying his time here on Stewjon, so Obi-wan braced for his reaction to what he was about to say.

“Anakin, as much as I enjoy taking a break from our normal duties, we need to report back to the Jedi council. They probably don’t even know if we’re alive right now.”

Anakin’s face fell.

“Do we have to so soon, Master? Can we give it a few more days?”

“No, Padawan,” Obi-wan said firmly. “We’ve already extended our welcome. We need to get out of their hair and back to reality. Our reality.”

“Master, you know your parents love having you here. And I think they appreciate the help I’ve been providing around the farm.”

“Anakin, you know we can’t form attachments. It will be easier for everyone if we leave sooner rather than later.”

“You really do sound like your mother now.”

“That’s not fair Anakin.”

Anakin knew he had gone too far. “Obi-wan, I didn’t mean…”

“I know, Padawan, I know,” Obi-wan said softly. “But you know this isn’t our life Anakin.”

Anakin sighed. He knew Obi-wan was right. And he knew being here was probably harder on him than it was on himself. “You’re right, Master.”

Obi-wan was surprised, but relieved, to see Anakin give in so easily. “I’m glad we agree. Now let’s get washed up and get some rest. We can go to the village tomorrow.”

Anakin smiled at him and together they walked in comfortable silence back to the farmhouse.

* * *

After washing up, Anakin and Obi-wan joined the Kenobi’s at dinner. 

“We really appreciate all the help you boys have given us around the farm. We normally don’t get help until harvest, so it’s been a nice change of pace,” Kasia said.

“It’s the least we can do,” Obi-wan said politely. “But, I think it’s time my Padawan and I try to make our way back to Coruscant.”

Kasia and Mer-khan looked at each other with a knowing look and Anakin wasn’t entirely convinced they didn’t have a Force bond with each other. 

“We’re sad to see you go, but we knew you would have to go back eventually. Mer-khan can take you two to the village tomorrow. I’m afraid you won’t be able to get any ships there, but you can contact the Jedi from the communications hub.”

Obi-wan was relieved there was no grand display of emotion that he had to contend with.

“I do want to thank you for everything you have done for me and my Padawan. Without your selflessness and your kindness, I probably wouldn’t have survived. I owe my life to you.” 

“Yes, thank you,” Anakin added on. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have Obi-wan to boss me around all the time.”

Obi-wan glared at Anakin, but Kasia and Mer-khan laughed softly.

“So, before you leave us, we need to hear some stories,” Mer-khan said.

“Stories?” Obi-wan asked.

“Yes, stories about your lives as Jedi. Regardless of your relation to us, the Jedi are seen as stuff of legends. We want to know if it’s anything like what we hear in the rumor mill.”

“We really are just keepers of the peace, or, well, we try to be.”

“Oh come on, Obi-wan!” Anakin drawled. “You know we’ve had some exciting times together, and I’m sure there is plenty you’ve gotten up to long before I was your Padawan.”

“Well, there was that time on Ellafar.”

Anakin rolled his eyes.

“Of course you’re going to pick the story where  _ you  _ had to save  _ me! _ ”

“Hey, so far they’ve only seen you rescue me, I need to level the playing field here.”

The older Kenobi’s looked at the Master and Apprentice with mirth.

“Anakin and I were on a diplomatic mission to Ellafar,” Obi-wan began. “He was still very young, and we had only been on a few missions together. This was the first one where we would be going to the outer rim on our own. 

“Ellafar is a desert planet. They have a very vibrant culture there. At the time we were there, they were holding a bazaar. I wanted Anakin to see it and experience it, so we went when we had some downtime. I told Anakin to stay by my side so I wouldn’t lose him in the crowd. It was hot but Anakin’s used to the heat and I think he was enjoying seeing all the different people.”

“I was,” Anakin confirmed.

“Anyway, I went to buy some water for us. I turned my back on him for only a second, but in that second Anakin had disappeared into the crowd.” 

Obi-wan’s voice quieted and his eyes turned downcast. “I was so scared. I had just barely become a knight myself and I was terrified I had already lost my Padawan.”

Anakin looked at him with surprise. He’d never heard this part of the story. He had thought Obi-wan had just been angry with him for disobeying him. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

“I searched the crowds and tried reaching him through our bond, but it was still so new. I could only think about how disappointed Qui-gon would be with me if he knew I had already lost the boy. Just as I was giving up hope on ever finding my lost Padawan a gruff looking man approached me. He said, ‘I know where your brother is. They’re going to sell him to the slavers if you don’t pay up for him.’ I immediately followed the man to a tent at the edge of the bazaar. I couldn’t… I wouldn’t let Anakin be sold to slavers again.” 

“I didn’t know this part, Master,” Anakin said. He felt anxiety coiling inside of him at the thought of being in chains again. 

“They had Anakin in a small cage meant for animals, and they had drugged him,” Obi-wan continued. “We weren’t allowed to have weapons in the bazaar, so I didn’t have my lightsaber on me. I couldn’t just saunter in and free him, I needed to convince his captors to let him go.

“I begged them to let him go, but they told me he was worth too much on the black market. If I had enough credits to buy him back I was free to take him. Unfortunately, I did not. They then presented me with another option. 

“They told me there was going to be a fight that night, but one of the fighters backed out. They said if I could give them a good show, I’d more than earn back the money I needed to free Anakin. I couldn’t trust these people but I didn’t see much other choice. I accepted his offer.

“About an hour later I was pushed into a ring with a huge Trandoshan. He was probably double my size. I felt very vulnerable without my lightsaber and I knew I couldn’t use the Force here. Luckily, we are taught how to fight without weapons and without the use of the Force. Despite his size, we were pretty evenly met. He landed some tough blows but I had determination and someone to fight for. I was quickly able to subdue him and I won the fight. 

“To my surprise, the Ellafarian was true to his word. I walked away with a black eye, two cracked ribs and my Padawan.” Obi-wan smiled softly at Anakin.

“It seems like you two really have each other’s backs,” Mer-khan said.

“I took a vow when I took him on as my Padawan,” Obi-wan said solemnly. “I swore to protect my Padawan from harm. I couldn’t break that vow so soon after I had taken him on now could I?” A wry smile crossed his face.

Anakin smirked. “Well, I didn’t need to take a vow to have  _ your  _ back.”   
  


“Yes, but you _ did _ take a vow to obey me, a vow you have broken almost every single day of your apprenticeship and yet here I am  _ still _ protecting you.”

The small group laughed and joked with each other like this late into the evening. Obi-wan, still not feeling 100 percent back to normal, was the first to call it a night and Anakin soon followed.

That night they dreamed of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, but which home are they dreaming about? You decide.


	9. Varactyls

At dawn, Mer-khan led them to a paddock holding three large reptilian creatures Anakin had never seen before. They were huge, lizard-like creatures, but their heads were reminiscent of a hawk’s. They had plumes of feathers, almost like crowns on their heads. Their eyes showed a fierce intelligence and their clawed paws indicated an ability to traverse any type of terrain.

Anakin was taken aback by how vibrant the creatures were. One of them had deep blue scales with teal feathers. Another varactyl had royal purple scales with navy blue feathers. But the one that drew Anakin’s eye was the biggest of the three. He was black and silver. His feathers sparkled like diamonds and his midnight black scales shone like Mandalorian armor in the sun. 

“You have varactyls here?” Obi-wan said trying to hide his giddiness, but Anakin could sense excitement rolling off of him in waves.

“Yes, they were illegally imported here from Utapau years ago and many of them escaped. The villagers have caught and domesticated a handful of them.  _ These _ varactyls happen to be mine,” Mer-khan said with visible pride.

“I haven’t seen varactyls since I was a Padawan myself. I first encountered them on Pijal with my Master. I haven’t seen one since.”

Obi-wan circled the varactyls and stared at them with wide-eyed wonder. The varactyls seemed to be looking at him with the same level of curiosity and fascination. They slowly edged closer to him and Obi-wan held his hands out in an unthreatening stance. The blue one then bent his head down to Obi-wan’s face and gently nudged against him in what Anakin assumed to be a display of trust and affection. Obi-wan laughed with delight and gently stroked the varactyl’s smooth teal-colored feathers. 

Anakin grinned. Even though Obi-wan wasn’t as strong with the Living Force as Qui-gon had been, animals had always been drawn to him. Animals  _ loved  _ Obi-wan. Domesticated or wild, it didn’t seem to matter. It was not uncommon on their missions for animals to approach and bond with his Master. It helped that Obi-wan loved them in return.

“Anakin, can’t you feel it?” Obi-wan whispered.

“Feel what?”

“They’re sensitive to the Force. They’re highly intelligent creatures. Center yourself and reach out to them, Padawan.”

Anakin took in a centering breath and reached out with his senses. He immediately felt the pull of the reptilian animals in front of him. The black and silver varactyl seemed to sense Anakin reaching out and sauntered over to where he stood. The large beast sniffed Anakin’s hand. Anakin didn’t know exactly how, but he could sense the animal giving him consent to touch him. Slowly, Anakin stroked the animal’s long feathered neck. Some of the giddiness that he felt coming from Obi-wan started to well up in him as well. 

“They’re beautiful,” Anakin whispered.

By this point, Obi-wan had already hopped the fence and was approaching the blue varactyl. He grabbed the animal’s halter and used it to effortlessly swing himself up into the saddle. Anakin watched Mer-khan do the same with the purple one. 

Anakin tried to mimic the two of them but wasn’t able to get the momentum he needed to swing all the way into the saddle. He lost his grip and fell down next to the creature. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 

“It’s alright, Padawan. I had the same problem when I rode one for the first time. Try connecting with him. Use your bond to instruct him to kneel down.”

Trying not to give in to frustration, Anakin reached out to the animal.

_ Kneel. _

To his delight, the varactyl knelt down beside him. Anakin easily climbed onto its back. He felt the raw power of the animal and grinned. 

_ This is amazing, Master! _

_ I’m glad you agree with me. One of my favorite childhood memories is riding a varactyl in the Pijalian Princess’s coronation ceremony. _

_ That sounds terribly boring except for the varactyl part. _

_ I assure you it wasn’t. It was a ceremonial hunt. The first human/varactyl team to find the security droid was declared the winner.  _

_ I take it back. _

The trio began the two hour trip to the village.

* * *

“Woah there,” Mer-khan said, slowing down his varactyl.

Obi-wan and Anakin slowed down their mounts as well.

“We’re about a thirty minute’s walk from the village. It’s best if we leave the varactyls tied up here. They’re too big for the streets, plus I don’t want any of the village folk getting any ideas about taking home a new pet.”

The three men tied their varactyls to nearby trees. 

“Now for the most part, the village is inhabited by lovely, hard-working people,” Mer-khan said.

“What about the other part?” Anakin questioned suspiciously.

“There’s a group of… well let’s just say ‘ruffians’ who think they own the place. They tend to cause trouble when they see newcomers, so don’t do anything to draw attention to yourselves.”

Anakin reflexively put his hand on his lightsaber.

“You might want to put those away too. At least keep them concealed.”

Anakin and Obi-wan hid their lightsabers inside their robes and the trio began the walk to the village.

* * *

The three men got through the village and to the communications hub with no incidents.

Once inside the communications hub, Obi-wan placed a call to the Jedi temple and requested to speak to Master Yoda.

“Master Yoda, this is Obi-wan Kenobi checking in.”

“Good to hear your voice, it is, Master Kenobi,” Yoda said. “Is your Padawan with you?”

“Yes, Anakin is here with me. He’s safe.”

“Glad, I am. What happened, Master Kenobi? We received word that you never arrived in Senjin and heard from you we did not.”

“Our ship crashed on a planet called Stewjon. We will need someone to send transport to come get us. I’ll send you the coordinates of where we’re staying.” 

“On Stewjon, a history you have, Obi-wan.”

“Yes, many things have come to light recently,” Obi-wan said tightly.

“Okay, are you, young Master?” 

“I’m fine, Master Yoda.”

“For you and your Padawan, a ship we will send,” Yoda said, deftly changing the subject to the more important matter at hand. “In a standard day, a republic ship will arrive at your coordinates.”

“Thank you, Master Yoda.”


	10. Trouble in the Village

The three walked in silence back through the village. They had nearly reached the end of the village when Anakin felt a flare in the Force. His head snapped up and he made eye-contact with Obi-wan – he knew his Master felt it to. 

“Get down!” Obi-wan yelled and he practically tackled Mer-khan to the ground, a blaster bolt just narrowly missing his head. “Find cover. Anakin and I will handle this.”

Mer-khan, slightly stunned, scrambled to the edge of a storefront and ducked for cover behind some crates. He watched as Anakin and Obi-wan assumed a back-to-back stance, both holding their lightsabers with a threatening lethality. 

Out of nowhere a group of 25 to 30 rough-looking men (and a few women) circled around the Jedi, blasters all trained on the pair. 

“What is your business here?” a large man with a blaster pointed directly at Anakin’s head said roughly.

“We just needed to use the town’s communications hub. We’re leaving now,” Obi-wan said diplomatically.

“We don’t like newcomers.”

“We don’t like being here either. Now, will you let us be on our way or do we have a problem?” Anakin cut in. The anger in his voice was palpable.

_ Anakin! _

_ Sorry Master. _

“I think we have a problem.”

Instantly everything flew into chaos. The group began firing their blasters at Anakin and Obi-wan. The pair used their lightsabers to deflect all the blaster bolts flying their way, but they were actively trying to avoid killing anyone in the group. 

As the group converged on the two Jedi, it became harder and harder to fight back without hurting them. They tried using the hilts of their sabers and they tried destroying the blasters as they came within range but it was slow going. 

Suddenly Anakin cried out in pain. A blaster bolt hit his side. Instantly warm blood began spilling from the wound. Anakin tried his best to keep his defenses up but Obi-wan saw him faltering. He gathered the Force around him and pushed five of the assailants away from Anakin’s position. They went tumbling back and retreated. 

  
Anakin regained his focus, ignoring the pain in his side. After a few precise slices through blasters and a few successful blows, most of the group had retreated. The fight was nearly won when Obi-wan felt another flare in the Force. He took out the final assailant’s weapons in front of him before looking over to see Mer-khan pinned down by five of the gang members. 

Anakin and Obi-wan instantly stiffened. 

“We won’t hurt your friend over here if you’re willing to pay up,” the gang leader said stiffly 

“We don’t have credits,” Anakin said with impatience.

“Well that is quite unfortunate then,” the leader said, pointing a blaster directly at Mer-khan’s temple. 

Anakin was surprised to feel something akin to fury coming from Obi-wan’s force presence. 

Obi-wan summoned the Force around him. Suddenly, the five men were levitating towards Obi-wan. Terror shown in their eyes at the unknown energy gripping them and pulling them towards the furious Jedi Master until they landed in a heap at his feet. Obi-wan used the Force to rip the blasters from their hands and when he clenched his fist, they shattered into hundreds of pieces. 

_ “Leave this place,”  _ Obi-wan said with venom, and the men knew it was a threat. They all scrambled to their feet and took off running back into the heart of the village. 

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Mer-khan said with awe. “And you didn’t even kill a single one of them.”

Obi-wan nodded. He normally would have had more to say, but the rush of battle was beginning to dissipate from his blood. He panted heavily and his vision started to tunnel.  _ Maybe I shouldn’t have used the Force like that,  _ Obi-wan thought ruefully. 

_ Master? _

Obi-wan didn’t have it in him to answer his concerned Padawan. He staggered a few steps forward before landing in Anakin’s arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if Obi-wan was a little out of character, but I had fun writing him with a protective streak.


	11. Mine to Protect

Together, Anakin and Mer-khan dragged Obi-wan to a small grouping of trees just outside the edge of the village. They sat him down at the base of one of the trees so that he was leaning up against it. 

Anakin ignored the sharp flare of pain in his side.

“What happened to him?” Mer-khan asked, concern coloring his voice. “I thought he was almost back to normal.”

“He was,” Anakin said ruefully. “The thing is, when we use the Force, we’re using our own energy, our own life-force. Normally, what he had done in the village probably wouldn’t have harmed him too much, but on the heels of everything he’s been through he was likely not back to feeling completely himself. Especially since he has been using the Force to heal his wounds. His energy levels were probably low to begin with.” 

“Will he be okay?”

  
  
“He should be fine, as long as he doesn’t over-exert himself again like that within the next couple of hours.”

Anakin began nudging their Force-bond. He could feel his Master’s exhaustion rolling off of him in waves. 

_ Obi-wan, come on, we need to get out of here.  _

Obi-wan groaned. His eyes blinked open slowly.

_ What happened? _

_ You have Force exhaustion. _

Obi-wan nodded and then let his eyes focus on his Padawan.

_ Anakin, you’re bleeding! _

_ I’m fine Obi-wan. It will heal.  _

_ Anakin. _

_ It’s not fatal. Here, drink this. _

Anakin handed Obi-wan the small water canteen they carried with them. He took a long draught from it before handing it back to Anakin. 

_ Ready to head back? _

Obi-wan nodded. Anakin outstretched his hand and Obi-wan took it gratefully. The trio slowly made their way back to the varactyls. 

* * *

The ride back to the farm was subdued. All three men were tired from their journey and the fight that ensued, but Obi-wan was concerned for his Padawan.

After a battle, he always chattered about certain moves or strategies he used, or went on about the weaponry of his opponents. Now he was silent. Of course, Obi-wan didn’t feel all that up for conversation either, otherwise, he might have tried engaging him.

Anakin’s eyes felt heavy. He couldn’t wait to get to the farmhouse and  _ sleep. _ He was glad that the Stewjon sun had set already. He would be able to sleep this off without too much suspicion. 

His side hurt, but the sharp flare of pain had turned into a dull ache. However, the longer they traveled, the worse Anakin started to feel. His muscles were sore from the journey and the fight. He was starting to feel woozy and his skin felt clammy.  _ That’s not a good sign,  _ he thought to himself ruefully.

As the farmhouse drifted into view, Anakin’s vision swam.

_ Master… I don’t feel so good. _

Obi-wan’s head snapped up to attention. He felt the pain and the fear behind his Padawan’s mental communication. He could only watch as Anakin slumped sideways in his saddle and fell off the side. 

The varactyl startled at the sudden drop but Obi-wan instantly reached out into the Force and comforted the animal. It thankfully remained still as Obi-wan leaped from his own varactyl and freed Anakin’s foot from the stirrup. 

Any exhaustion he had been feeling was forgotten and replaced with adrenaline. He tried to push down his fear, but seeing his Padawan lying so still and pale on the hard ground was unnerving.

“I’ll handle the animals, you get him inside!” Mer-khan said. 

Obi-wan nodded gratefully and clumsily scooped Anakin over his shoulder. Anakin hissed in pain.

_ I’m sorry, Padawan mine. _

* * *

“How have you two survived this long?” Kasia asked sarcastically, but Obi-wan could tell she was masking genuine concern.

“Honestly, I’m not sure at this point.”

Anakin was lying on the bed, his robe and shirt were discarded to the side so Obi-wan and Kasia could properly treat the blaster wound. It definitely looked worse than he had initially let on. Anakin’s flesh was burned and bleeding profusely. He must have lost a lot more blood than Obi-wan originally thought.

_ How could I not have noticed,  _ Obi-wan thought quietly to himself. 

He ran a washcloth over the wound. He rang out the small towel into a basin, dyeing the water red with his Padawan’s blood. 

_ I’m supposed to protect him. _

Obi-wan looked at the chrono on the wall. Only about 20 standard hours left until their rescue would arrive. Obi-wan hoped they had the good sense to bring medical supplies. 

Anakin stirred and groaned quietly. 

“Obi-wan, what happened?”

“You lost a lot of blood, Padawan. Why didn’t you tell me you were more badly hurt?”

“I thought I was fine. I’ve had worse, Master,” He said wryly and Obi-wan had to agree.

Obi-wan felt Anakin’s nausea through their bond before quickly lifting his shields. He quickly grabbed a basin and placed it in front of Anakin. 

Anakin threw up the little contents of his stomach until he was dry-heaving. Obi-wan grimaced in sympathy while rubbing circles on his back. 

Kasia grabbed the basin from Obi-wan and he smiled at her gratefully. Anakin lay back, tears streaming down his face. He looked disoriented and in pain.

“It’s alright Padawan. We’ll get to go home soon and we’ll get you all patched up,” Obi-wan said in a gentle tone he only ever used with Anakin. He carded his fingers through Anakin’s light brown hair and gently played with the Padawan braid. Anakin’s whole body seemed to relax and he closed his eyes.

Obi-wan gathered the Force around him and started directing it at Anakin’s wound. He didn’t have a lot of strength left, so he wasn’t seeing as much success with Anakin’s blaster wound as he had had with his own broken arm. However, he did start to see the edges of the wound where he was lightly burned turn back to a normal color.

Anakin relaxed further before his whole body stiffened and his eyes flashed open. Obi-wan jumped back, afraid he had done something wrong and was hurting his Padawan.

“What are you  _ doing _ , Master?” Anakin questioned wildly. “You can’t waste your energy on me.”

“I’m treating your wound, Anakin, now mind your tone,” Obi-wan chided. “Besides, I’m not ‘wasting’ anything on you.”

“Master, you already have Force exhaustion, I can’t let you do this. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Anakin grabbed Obi-wan’s hand, forcing him to take it away from his wound. “Please, Obi-wan. I’ll be fine. Besides, a republic ship will be here in a few hours. I’m sure they’ll have medical supplies. Please, just rest, Master.”

For a second, it looked like Obi-wan was going to argue with him, but his eyes softened. “Okay, Padawan,” he relented. “But if it gets worse, you have to tell me. Promise me Anakin.”

“I promise, Master.”

Anakin was shocked to see tears in his Master’s eyes. 

The exhaustion and the overwhelming emotions from this whole adventure seemed to be catching up with Obi-wan. 

“Master, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Padawan. I just get scared when I see you in danger. I don’t want you to be hurt is all.”

“I’ll be okay, Master. You know I’ve had far worse than this.”

“You’re absolutely terrible at making me feel better, Anakin,” Obi-wan half smiled at him. “You see Padawan, my biggest failure as a Jedi has always been attachment. I was attached to Qui-gon and when he died it felt like my world came crashing down around me... but then I had you. With you, my failures with attachment only got worse. As close to Qui-gon as I was, it’s nothing compared to the bond I share with you. You’re more than my Padawan… you’re my best friend, my brother. When I see you hurt or in danger… I just… I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. ” 

Anakin was once again shocked by this admission. He always saw Obi-wan as the perfect Jedi. No flaws. No imperfections. Just the code. 

“I know how you feel,” Anakin finally said after a pause. “I was terrified that you wouldn’t make it after the crash. I don’t know what I would do without you either… and well… you already know I struggle with my attachments.”   
  


“Oh I’m very aware,” Obi-wan said with a wry smile. “And I’m sorry I put you through that. No Padawan should ever have to support their Master like that.”

“It wasn’t about supporting you, Master. I was terrified I would lose you. I know I disobey you all the time, but you mean the world to me Obi-wan.”

Obi-wan smiled and ran his fingers through Anakin’s hair one more time before standing up. “I think it’s time both of us got some rest, huh Padawan?” 

Anakin gave a small nod, his gray eyes already closing. 

Obi-wan climbed into his own bed, not bothering to change out of his grimy, blood-stained clothes. He was instantly asleep.

Kasia peeked her head into the bedroom and smiled sadly at the sons she never got to have. 


	12. Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all, last chapter! Let me know what you think.

Daylight streamed into the small room awaking Obi-wan from a deep and healing sleep. He groaned, still feeling some of the effects of Force-exhaustion. 

He stalked over to Anakin, who still lay fast asleep in his bed. After giving him a once-over, he went to the refresher to shower and change into clean clothes. 

When he returned to their bedroom, he was concerned to see Anakin still asleep. 

_ Padawan? _

Anakin groaned. He was never a morning person, but right now he felt especially groggy. He blinked his eyes open slowly.

_ Master? How much longer before the Republic ship gets here? _

_ I believe they’ll be here in about four standard hours. You should eat something Anakin. _

With that, Anakin noticed the gnawing emptiness of his stomach. He really hadn’t eaten much the day before, and what little he had, he had thrown up from blood-loss induced nausea. 

Anakin nodded and grabbed Obi-wan’s outstretched hand. Anakin’s world tilted as he stood up, but Obi-wan had a supportive grip on his shoulder. 

The Master and Apprentice pair made their way to the kitchen, where Kasia had laid out a large breakfast.

“Good morning boys,” Kasia greeted cheerily. “I figured you two would be hungry after the little adventure you had yesterday.”

“Thank you, Kasia, this is more than we deserve,” Obi-wan said graciously. 

Anakin was already digging into some buttered toast. Obi-wan shot Anakin a disapproving look, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. Obi-wan subtly kicked at Anakin’s boot.

“Yes! Thank you, Kasia. This is incredible,” Anakin said, remembering himself. Obi-wan rolled his eyes. 

Kasia chuckled. She looked at the two young men as they ate and joked together. A pang of sadness washed over her.

Almost instantly, Obi-wan’s expression seemed to sober and he looked intently into her eyes. The intensity of his gaze was overwhelming and she looked away. She couldn’t bear to look into the blue-gray eyes of her son, even while knowing this was likely one of the last times she would ever get the chance to. 

Thankfully, he returned his gaze to his meal and his student, and he continued bantering with the younger man. 

After they ate, Obi-wan encouraged Anakin to go get some more rest, and much to Obi-wan’s relief, he didn’t put up too much of a fight. 

Obi-wan stayed in the kitchen with Kasia and helped her clean up. They worked together in silence for a while before Obi-wan solemnly said, “I don’t want to intrude on your privacy and I want you to know that I can’t perceive your exact thoughts the way I can with Anakin, but I can sense strong emotions coming off anyone’s presence in the Force.” 

“And what do you sense with me?” Kasia questioned dryly, already knowing the answer.

“I can feel your sadness. I can feel your grief. I want you to know that I understand the gravity of the choice you had to make – and I thank you for it. I want you to know that you made the right choice. I was always meant to be a Jedi.”

Tears filled her eyes. She set down the dishtowel she had been holding and before Obi-wan could comprehend what was happening, she buried her head in his chest and sobbed. She gripped tightly to his robes and Obi-wan wasn’t entirely sure what to do. He ended up wrapping his arms around her in a protective embrace.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“There isn’t a single day that goes by where I don’t think about you, Obi-wan. Not a single one. I wondered what you looked like. I wondered about how you would do in classes. I wondered if you were safe. I thought about what your favorite subject in school might be or what your favorite color was. I wondered if you were well fed, if you were happy, if you had friends and people who would protect you from harm. Every day, Obi-wan. Every single day.”

“I can assure you I was well taken care of at the temple,” Obi-wan said gently. “Sure, my training and my relationship with Qui-gon had ups and downs, but I had a generally happy upbringing.”

“Nothing makes me happier,” she said softly.

“And to answer your question, I’ve always had a fondness for the color blue.”

She laughed softly and pulled away from him. She reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand. “You mean the galaxy to me, my son. Please, no matter where you are, never forget that.”

He swallowed thickly. “I won’t.”

* * *

It wasn’t much longer before a republic ship landed in between the farmhouse and the barn. Mer-khan, Kasia, Obi-wan and Anakin emerged from the farmhouse to greet the Jedi's rescuers.

Master Yoda emerged from the ship’s ramp. 

“Master Yoda,” Obi-wan said with surprise. “What are you doing out here?”   
  


“Some old acquaintances, I have come to see,” Yoda said. 

Yoda walked past Anakin and Obi-wan and stood before Kasia and Mer-khan.

“A debt, the Jedi Order owes you, Mr. and Mrs. Kenobi.” 

Kasia and Mer-khan nodded their heads. 

“We did what we had to,” Kasia said.

“What you had to, you did not. What was right, you did. Better for it, the galaxy is.”

Yoda made his way over to Anakin.

“Alright, are you, young one?” Yoda asked.

“I’m okay, Master. Ready to go home, I think.”

“Home you will be soon,” Yoda said with a placating tone. He shifted over to Obi-wan.

“Many revelations you have had, hmmm young Master?”

“Indeed.”

“Meditate on them, you will.”

“Of course, Master.”

“Glad to see you, I am,” Yoda said honestly. “Feared you and your Padawan dead, we did.”

“It’ll take more than a ship crash on a strange planet to keep us down,” Anakin chimed in. 

Obi-wan tried to refrain from rolling his eyes. “Please don’t tempt the Force, Padawan.”

Anakin smirked in response.

“We should be on our way,” Obi-wan finally said. “Anakin needs real medical attention, and I think we’ve intruded on this planet long enough.” 

Obi-wan had been avoiding the gaze of his parents, but now he looked over to them. There were tears in his mother’s eyes and a deep sorrow lined Mer-khan’s face. 

“Again, I want to thank you both for taking us in. We’re both grateful to you and…” Obi-wan was cut off by his mother who once again buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Mer-khan stepped forward, placed his hand on Obi-wan’s shoulder and looked him directly in the eyes. 

“Please take care of yourself, my son,” Mer-khan said solemnly. 

“I will.”

“It meant everything to us to get to see you again. I hope you know that,” Kasia finally said. 

Obi-wan nodded awkwardly, not really sure what to say in parting with the practical strangers who so clearly loved him unconditionally. 

The small, long-lost family separated. Yoda had already boarded the ship and Obi-wan didn’t want to keep him waiting. Obi-wan slipped Anakin’s arm around his shoulder and helped maneuver him to the ship. 

On the ramp, Obi-wan paused and gave one final glance to his parents before turning and boarding the ship.

Once they were settled in and hurtling through hyperspace, Obi-wan expected a lecture from Yoda about attachment based on the little display before takeoff, but the old Master seemed to understand that now was not the time to admonish his great grandpadawan. 

Obi-wan sat at Anakin’s side while a medical droid examined the blaster bolt wound. He gazed at his exhausted Padawan with stormy blue-gray eyes. 

Obi-wan knew he was going to have to spend a long time meditating and working through his emotions. Meanwhile, he was happy to sit at Anakin’s side thinking about the significance of family and found-family and what they mean to a man who now had both, but was supposed to have neither. 


End file.
